Apparatus for testing or proving the center of gravity of connecting-rods.



A. W. BROWN.

APPARATUS FOR TESTING 0R PROVING THE CENTER OF GRAVITY 0F CONNECTING RODS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.24,1913.

1,124,389, Patented Jan. 12, 1915.

2 SHBETS-SHEET l.

@MMAWZ W A. W. BROWN.

APPARATUS FOR TESTING 0R PROVING THE CENTER OF GRAVITY 0F CONNECTING RODS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.24, 1919.

1,124,389, Patented Jan.12, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A FnEp w. BROWN, oFsoHo FOUNDRY, nnnn BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR TESTII IG OR PBOVING THE CENTER OF GRAVITY CONNECTING- RODS.

Patented Jan. 12, 1915.

Application filed February 24, 1913. Serial N 0. 750,446.

This invention relates to an improved means of standardizing or provingthe position of the center of gravity on the longi-- tudinal axis of connecting rods of recipro cating engines or the like.

The object of the inventionis to ascertain ,or Verify during the progress of manufacture the position of the center of gravity of the connecting rods on the longitudinal axis, to insure that each connecting rod is uniform and consonant with a standard, for the purposeof correctly oalancing the engine and attaining smoothness of Working and enhanced efiic'iency. This object is particularly essential to the balancing of High speed engines of the internal combustion and compound cylinder type as used on automobiles, aeroplanes, and the like.

The invention comprises a'suitable base and standardor frame, a balancing device associated with the standard or frame and suitable means for supporting one end of the beam or rod from the balancing device and the other end of the rodor beam from the standard or frame.

In the embodiment of the invention shown the balancing device comprises a beam or. lever having lmife-edged supp0rts. From one arm of the beam or lever is suspended by suitable links the crank-end of the connecting red, the gudgeon pin end being suspended by means of links from the standard or frame, this suspension being longitudinally ad ustable by means of a nut and screw or thelike, for the purposeof adaptability to'different lengths of connecting rods. The other arm of the said beam or leveris provided with adjustable poise weights or otherv weight counterbalancing means, the purpose of said weights or the like being to obtain the weight of thedependent end of the connecting rod, sus-' pended from the beam or lever. The connecting rod is horizontally suspended through the said linkage by means of two in the county of Stalford,'Eng-' mandrels having knife-edge trunnions, said mandrels being arranged to accurately fit within the; bearings of the connecting rod, and when so fitted the knife-edges thereof are co-axial with the internal diameter of the said bearings.

A means of carrying my invention into effect will now be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, likeletters having reference to like parts in the several views.

Figure 1 is a. side struction of my apparatus. Fig. 2 is a'plan of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of Fig; 1. Figs. 4 and 5 are end and side ele-.

/, elevation of one con- Vations or the mandrel employed in conjunction with this apparatus.

T he'base a carries a standard or frame I) in which is fulcrumed a knife-edged beamo'rlever c. Dependent from a knife-edge a in the beam are links d tied together by the bar 6 to prevent displace ent. Having bearings in the standard or rame b is a screw f provided with a milled head f, upon the screw is a nut g havingknife-edged trunnions h thereon from which depend the links i, by revolvingthe-milled end of the screw,

thenut is traversed thereon, to provide adjustment to suit varying lengths of connecting rods, and retain the vertical alinement of the links d a'ndz'.

.Upon the beam or lever 0 are traversing lpoise weights j and it provided respectively as the 1113.101 and minor means of determin+ ing or counterbalancing the weight, as will hereinafter be more fully set forth.

Z and m are the mandrels having knife- 1 edged trunnions, the edges being exactly on.

the axes of the'mandrels- The peripheries ofthe-said mandrels are slightly coned, or provided with a bevel, so that they may be readily inserted in the connecting rod n and removed therefrom for the test.

The method of standardizing or proving the connecting rods by the employment of the said device will now'be described. A standard connecting rod of approved construction (for example '21,- Figs. 1 to 3) is suspended by means of the mandrels Z and m from the beam 0 and nut g on the frame 6, by means of the links d and 2'. The ad--' justable poise weights 7' and 7c areset, and secured by the screws 7" and is at the position of equilibrium of the beam '0 the crank end of the connecting rod 12 being suspended from the beam. The gudgeonspin end of the connecting rod is longitudinally adjusted by means of the traversing nut (p and screw 7" to obtain a vertical suspension of the links carrying the mandrelsin the connecting rod ends. #lhe standard connecting rod is now 7 removed from the beam and frame, and the mandrels Withdrawn and'other connecting rods of the same type, which it is desired to prove by the standard, have the mandrels inserted in their bearings'and are suspended I from the beam and frame as previously described, and if, a position of equipoise of the,

beam is attained, the connecting rods are correct, but should the beam not be'counterbalanced the connecting rod is removed and so altered until the beam or lever cis brought into equilibrium, thereby insuringv that the center of gravity of: all the connecting rods on their longitudinal axes are standardized and uniform.

I claim :1. In an apparatus for testing or proving the center of gravity of connecting rods or the like, the combination ofa frame, a balancing device associated-therewith, means connected With the balancing device for pivotally supporting one end of the rod to be tested and means 'connectedwith the frame for pivotally supporting-the other end of said, rod. 1

2. In apparatus for testing orproving the center of gravity of connecting'rods or the like, a beam or lever having poiseiweights thereon, means of suspending from said beam one part of a connecting rod a frame carry-- ing said beam or lever, an adjustable suspension on said frame for the other part of i said rod, and mandrels adapted to be inserted Within the bearings of said connecting rod by means of which the connect ng rod is vaccurately suspended.

3. In apparatus for testing'or proving the center of "gravity of connecting rods or the like, a beam or leverIpro vided with counterbalancing poise weights, a frame in which the beam is mounted, an adjustable trunnion therein, knife-edged mandrels and links by which the same are suspended one from the beam and the other from the trunnion,-'all for accurately suspending connecting rods in the manner described and for the purpose set forth.

4:. In an apparatus for testing or proving the center of gravity of connecting rods or the like, the combination of a frame, a balancing device associated therewith, means connected with the balancing device for pivotallysupporting one end of the rod to be tested, and'means connected with the frame and adjustable toward and from the firstnamed means for pivotally supporting the other end of said rod.

5, In an apparatus for testing or proving the center of gravity of connectingirods or the like, the combination ofa frame, a beam or lever fulcrumed on the frame, means connected with the beam or lever for pivotally supporting one end of the rod to be tested, and means connected with the frame for pivotally supporting the other end of said rod.

6. In an apparatus for testing or proving the center of gravity of connecting rods or the like, the combination of a frame, a beam or lever fulcrumed intermediate its ends on said frame, movable poise weights on one 

